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DayZ Wiki:Manual of Style
This Manual of Style (often abbreviated as MoS or MOS) outlines a standard of clean, consistent formatting for articles on this wiki. The formatting described here is a guideline and can be overridden where circumstances warrant it. These guidelines will never be perfect for every situation. However, please keep to the standard format outlined in this article so others may use one's edits as an example when creating and editing other articles. These guidelines are a summary of the most important guidelines for this wiki, but a more expansive set of style guidelines can be found at Wikipedia's Manual of Style. Grammar Grammar is a writer's toolbox. Use correct grammar to the best of your ability. If unsure, check by using a search engine like Google, or a word processor like Microsoft Word. This wiki prefers the use of American English. Notable differences between American and British English are, for example, "color" and "colour", "center" and "centre". Note that American English users use "-ize" or "-yze" whereas the British English users use "-ise" or "-yse". In general, use a comma to delimit numbers with four or more digits to the left of the decimal point. : Example: 1,000 and 12,345 Capital letters Sentence case rather than title case is used in DayZ Wiki article titles and section headings. Example: Fire station Emphasis Do not use capital letters for emphasis; where wording alone cannot provide the emphasis, use italics. : Incorrect: It is not only a LITTLE (or Little) learning that is dangerous. : Correct: It is not only a little learning that is dangerous. Compass points Do not capitalize directions like north, nor their related forms (We took the northern road), except where they are parts of names (like Great North Road or South Pole). Compass directions may or may not be hyphenated, depending on the style adopted in the article. "Southeast Asia" and "northwest" are more common in American English; but "South-East Asia" and "north-west" in British English. Italics Titles Use italics for the titles of works of literature, films, television series, computer and video games. The titles of articles, chapters and other short works are not italicized; they are enclosed in double quotation marks. : Example: DayZ and Arma 2 : Example: "Private Military Company" and "British Armed Forces" Italicized links The italics markup must be outside the link markup, or the link will not work; however, internal italicization can be used in piped links. : Incorrect: He died with [[Turandot]] still unfinished. : Correct: He died with Turandot still unfinished. : Correct: The [[USS Adder (SS-3)|USS Adder (SS-3)]] was a submarine. Article layout One of the most important parts of wiki editing is how to structure an article. The structure is a powerful thing: it dictates what information the reader reads and when he or she reads it. It can influence what people contribute, where it goes, and how it might be written. Structure has the power to inform or confuse the same way good or bad writing does. Keep a well-structured article, and it is more likely to be a high quality one. Keep the layout consistent. Lead section An article should begin with an introduction. One sentence is usually enough for an introduction to most articles. The introduction should not have its own header. The table of contents appears after the lead section and before the first subheading. The lead should be quick and concise, explaining the subject of the article in one or two sentences. The subject of the article should be in bold in the lead section. : Example: ''' "The '''Blood Bag is a medical item found as loot in DayZ." Table of contents A table of contents automatically appears in articles with at least four headings. By default, the table of contents is left-aligned above the first section heading. Section headings Creation A section heading is made in Source mode by typing two equal sign, the titles of the header, and then two more equal signs. A section heading is made in Visual mode by highlighting text and then selecting the Headings 2 option under Paragraph Format. : Example: Header To made subsections in Source mode, use progressively more equal signs, or Headings 3 or higher in Visual mode. : Example: Subjection header Use Always keep headings short and simple. Headings are guidelines to your page's structure and should inform the reader rather than confuse. To keep it short, avoid unnecessary words or redundancy in headings, i.e. avoid a, an, and the, pronouns, repeating the article title, and so on. Also, try to avoid giving identical titles to different sections, as this complicates the 'jump to' function in the contents. Do not italicized or use links in subject headings. Instead consider typing the word in the first or second sentence of the section and linking it there. Only capitalize the first letter of the first word in a header and any proper nouns. Leave the other letters in lowercase. See: Capital letters : Example: Weapons and tactics not Weapons and Tactics Avoid any special characters in headings, such as an ampersand (&), a plus sign (+) or curly brackets ({}). In place of the ampersand, use the word "and" unless the ampersand is part of a formal name. Trivia can be included as a separate level 2 heading, after all other content like Image gallery but before any other sections like See also . Trivia should be bullet pointed. Images and videos Images and videos can make an article more attracting and memorable. They can also speak where words fail, such as describing an object. At the same time, misplaced or untidy images or videos can take away from an article. When choosing an image or video, keep in mind placement, size and the appropriateness of the image to the section. Let images flow with text rather than breaking it up. Images should be in-game screenshots or other in-game work, not real life photographs. All such media, except for those in an infobox, should use the thumbnail option. Infobox images should be ideally set to 200-300px wide. All other media should typically be 100 to 300px wide. : How to: Image naming When uploading an image, avoid putting random names and numbers, the result will be a mix-up and inconsistent. In naming the picture, do not space them, instead name the image in an appropriate and formal way. : Example: : Example: Galleries When an article requires several images, a gallery should be used and placed at the bottom of the article. : How to: and end with Captions can be used in galleries to describe or emphasise the image. Quotations Quotations should be used when they clearly add context or information to an article. To make a quotation, use the template. Quotes can be used for spoken or written words. They are mostly used for the in-game description of items. Example: Quotes should always be above a body of text. Quotes can be placed at the top of an article, or beneath a heading. End sections If references are used, they should be listed using the reflist template under a level 2 header. Reference lists should be located below any content. The last sections, where applicable, should be 'See also' (for internal links) followed by 'External links' (for internet links), both under level 2 headings. Use bullets to list links. Referencing If the author or editor of an article uses information that requires referencing or uses information from another author, they are to reference it. To ensure correct and consistent referencing of sources. The following Harvard Referencing Guildline (with example) is to be used: World Wide Web : Example Rocket has confirmed that prior to releasing the standalone game, development will focus on fixing bugs and preventing hacking.Charles Onyett, CO, 2012, DayZ Standalone Version: What to Expect, viewed 26 September 2012, . Reference : End Example |} Categories No page should be without a category. Categories should be added to the end of an article. : How to: Category:Categoryname Categories help to organise articles based on their type. For example, an article on a type of food such as Cooked Meat should be categorised under Consumables. Categories do not need to be too precise. For example, a category for canned and non-canned food is unnecessary. Special:UncategorizedPages should be empty. Writing *'Keep writing concise'. Do not use two words when one will do. However, do not use contractions. Words in their full form is preferred. *'Check spelling and grammar'. Use proper formal English as one would use for an assignment or essay. *'Write from an impersonal perspective'. Do not use the first person. For example, do not write "When you enter a major city, do not approach by the main road." Avoid drawing attention to the author (yourself) as much as possible. *'Be bold'. If you know something is wrong, correct it. *'Maintain article neutrality'. All pages should be from a neutral point of view. Avoid pointless adjectives that insert personal bias into an article and do not definitively say that something such as a weapon is relatively good or bad unless it can be statistically proven. *'Know the rules'. Reading existing pages is a good way to get a general sense of the wiki's style. *'Don't make up words'. English is one of the world's most comprehensive languages. There is bound to be a word to describe your needs. Remember, no wikian is Shakespeare. If stuck, use the Wiktionary. Conclusion Every article can be improved, including this one. Following these guidelines will help create high-quality articles that readers will find both informative and interesting. M